6M INDONESIAN TAXPAYERS’ DATA LEAKED AND SOLD, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT: REPORT

Thu 19 September 2024:

Data of some 6 million taxpayers in the world’s fourth-most populous nation, Indonesia, including of outgoing President Joko Widodo, has been allegedly leaked and sold, said a media report on Thursday.

Millions of taxpayer identification numbers have been “sold for $10,000 on the Breach Forum website” by an account claiming to belong to a hacker known as Bjorka, Jakarta Globe reported.

It added that the sale was completed on Wednesday.

The leaked data includes national ID numbers, emails, addresses, phone numbers, and other personal information, it said.

The Directorate General of Taxes of the Southeastern Asian nation, home to around 275 million people, is investigating the alleged breach.

Quoting Ethical Hacker Indonesia founder Teguh Aprianto, the report said: “The leaked data includes personal information belonging to President Joko Widodo, as well as his sons Gibran Rakabuming Raka and Kaesang Pangarep.”

Indonesia has faced several significant data leaks in recent years, affecting millions of citizens and highlighting concerns over cybersecurity and data protection. The country, which is rapidly digitizing, has struggled with safeguarding its vast troves of data amid weak regulatory oversight and underdeveloped cybersecurity infrastructure.

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1. BPJS Health Insurance Data Leak (2021)

One of Indonesia’s most significant data breaches occurred in May 2021, when personal data from over 270 million individuals, including citizens and foreign residents, was leaked from the BPJS Kesehatan (Social Security Administering Body for Health) database. The leaked information included names, identification numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and even health records.

Hackers reportedly sold this data on dark web forums, raising serious concerns about the security of national health databases. This incident prompted the government to investigate and temporarily suspend access to the breached system.

In 2019, the Indonesian Election Commission (KPU) was the victim of a data leak that exposed personal information of around 2 million voters. This breach occurred during the country’s highly contested presidential election and led to fears about possible election interference.

In May 2020, a massive data breach at Indonesia’s largest e-commerce platform, Tokopedia, exposed personal information from over 91 million accounts. The leaked data included usernames, emails, and passwords, which were later put up for sale on hacking forums. Other e-commerce and ride-hailing platforms, such as Bukalapak and Gojek, have also suffered breaches, contributing to growing fears about the security of online platforms in Indonesia.

Government and Private Sector Vulnerabilities

Several other leaks, including breaches at financial institutions, universities, and government agencies, have underscored Indonesia’s lack of robust data security laws.

These incidents, combined with growing digitalization, have forced the government to accelerate the passage of a personal data protection law. Indonesia finally enacted its Personal Data Protection Law (PDP Law) in 2022, mirroring the European Union’s GDPR, in an effort to curb future breaches and hold organizations accountable for safeguarding user data.

Despite these efforts, Indonesia continues to face challenges in building a more secure digital environment. Ongoing vulnerabilities and the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks leave the country at continued risk for future data leaks.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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